ID released of man, 71, killed in Freeport trailer fire

FREEPORT — Stephenson County Deputy Coroner Dawn Leamon said that 71-year-old Gary Hockman was the man who died in a trailer fire at 6807 W. Stephenson Street/Road early Wednesday.

Stephenson County Sheriff’s received a call at around 4:51 a.m. Wednesday about a fire on Lot 28 and upon arrival found it to be fully engulfed. Freeport Rural Fire Department also responded and found that Hockman was still inside.

Leamon said that a cause of death is still not known. The preliminary autopsy, which was completed Friday, didn’t find a cause of death so toxicology reports will now have to be reviewed to test for levels of carbon monoxide. Those tests should be completed in two weeks, Leamon said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the State Fire Marshal and Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigations Unit.